Housing veiled chameleons
- Thread starter MATT2504
- Start date
draetish
Avid Member
Depends on how old they are and how large the enclosure. You can try as long as you watch them closely. Make sure one is not dominating the other and keeping it from food, uvb & basking lights and water.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Only when they are really young. It is safer to house them seperately even as young as a couple of months old. There is usually a dominant cham in any group who will outcompete the others for food, best basking or hiding spots, best access to water and light. Even if they don't physically fight or injure each other they are still competing by posture and color. Being siblings doesn't matter really as they are not socially sophisticated creatures.
laurie
Retired Moderator
Carlton explained it in logical terms, but let me add it is also about quality of life. If you have a room that is 8' x 10' that is very well covered with plants, then yes it is possible. If you don't have that type of arrangement, what you have is one very threaten chameleon who will have a much shorter lifespan due to stress. If you don't have room for 2 cages of an adequate size, you should consider having only one chameleon. jmo
cambech
New Member
ok...
Just be warned...I am ashamed to say that i speak from experience. My cham didn't die, but thank god i was in the same room the night it happened and was able to separate them before it went any further.
On another note...I see videos everyday of stuff that "can be done". that doesn't mean it should be.
Just be warned...I am ashamed to say that i speak from experience. My cham didn't die, but thank god i was in the same room the night it happened and was able to separate them before it went any further.
On another note...I see videos everyday of stuff that "can be done". that doesn't mean it should be.
Housing a male and female together is also difficult if not impossible with veileds too. In the wild they can move away from each other if they are being stressed by the other's presence....in captivity, they can't get far enough away unless you are going to have a huge cage.
Is is really worth it?
Is is really worth it?
VeiledOwner87
New Member
my logic is..
keep them contained seperatly for a while (for quarentine and safety issues). introduce one to the other frequently for a trial period (like you would male and female too breed). if no stress appears, then try to start up a much larger enclosure. try and mirror both sides of the enclosure giving them each there own identicle uvb and heat basking spots, a great sufficient bundle of foliage, especially in the middle of the enclosure. observe them, and allow each to choose their territory. never house a male and female together, as they will breed often, and each gestation period for a female is life tolling on them. and never house a male and male together, regardless of the structure, they will most likely duke it out. so female and female is the best. another issue is feeding, and like the rest of common sence, allow them two seperate feeding cups in their territory.
its trial and error, could also be alot of money used or wasted in terms of a bigger enclosure, estetics and time, or could be a rewarding outcome. im not saying no to this, but if done right, done with patients, and done with knowledge of when to tell when the animal is stressed, i say go all for it.
keep them contained seperatly for a while (for quarentine and safety issues). introduce one to the other frequently for a trial period (like you would male and female too breed). if no stress appears, then try to start up a much larger enclosure. try and mirror both sides of the enclosure giving them each there own identicle uvb and heat basking spots, a great sufficient bundle of foliage, especially in the middle of the enclosure. observe them, and allow each to choose their territory. never house a male and female together, as they will breed often, and each gestation period for a female is life tolling on them. and never house a male and male together, regardless of the structure, they will most likely duke it out. so female and female is the best. another issue is feeding, and like the rest of common sence, allow them two seperate feeding cups in their territory.
its trial and error, could also be alot of money used or wasted in terms of a bigger enclosure, estetics and time, or could be a rewarding outcome. im not saying no to this, but if done right, done with patients, and done with knowledge of when to tell when the animal is stressed, i say go all for it.
MATT2504
Established Member
The enclosure will be a 6x3x3 well planted setup.
I never rush into things like this as i know it could all end in tears, as i want to gain as much knowledge as possoble first whilst building the enclosure(s) before i make my decisions. (at the min it looks like 2 enclosures m+f)
Thanks all for your time and knowledge, will post lots of pic's when fully setup! (prob next 4-6 weeks) SORRY so long
I never rush into things like this as i know it could all end in tears, as i want to gain as much knowledge as possoble first whilst building the enclosure(s) before i make my decisions. (at the min it looks like 2 enclosures m+f)
Thanks all for your time and knowledge, will post lots of pic's when fully setup! (prob next 4-6 weeks) SORRY so long
jbc
New Member
thought
Hi.
I got both mine as a young pair.. brother and sister because the dealer/breeder said it was ok to keep both together.
But as the girl one was very skiny that her ribs could be seen easy and I and my wife thought she would not last long so buying another viv was on hold.
But they grow fast and she soon put weight on and another viv was got and each time I got their food I would see two males together at the same shop.
They looked unhappy and made me see that some just don't care enough for the animals they sell and he had some with very bad eyes that needed treatment..
So if you can buy the bigest you can afford or buy more of smaller.
Mine are 2x3x18 and I think that's ok for a female but the male could use a 3x3x18 to allow him to clime around alot.
I also use a auto mister that pushes water through a pipe to a 75ml dripper bottle that both drink from ( they both have one each ) and left over water drops in to a water bowl that they to drink from so they are always with water no matter what.
I've taken pics and they are in my album.
Like others say it's best to be safe than sorry and prevention is better than cure.
Hi.
I got both mine as a young pair.. brother and sister because the dealer/breeder said it was ok to keep both together.
But as the girl one was very skiny that her ribs could be seen easy and I and my wife thought she would not last long so buying another viv was on hold.
But they grow fast and she soon put weight on and another viv was got and each time I got their food I would see two males together at the same shop.
They looked unhappy and made me see that some just don't care enough for the animals they sell and he had some with very bad eyes that needed treatment..
So if you can buy the bigest you can afford or buy more of smaller.
Mine are 2x3x18 and I think that's ok for a female but the male could use a 3x3x18 to allow him to clime around alot.
I also use a auto mister that pushes water through a pipe to a 75ml dripper bottle that both drink from ( they both have one each ) and left over water drops in to a water bowl that they to drink from so they are always with water no matter what.
I've taken pics and they are in my album.
Like others say it's best to be safe than sorry and prevention is better than cure.
sarasmoot93
New Member
It is bad for chameleons to have access to standing bacteria ridden water
